Students in Bangladesh protest rise of Islamic extremism

More than 100,000 students in Bangladesh linked their hands Monday to form human chains to protest two attacks last month by suspected Islamist militants.

The students from hundreds of colleges and universities in Dhaka and other cities took part in the protest as part of a campaign to create awareness about the rise of Islamic extremism in the country.

Protesters carried banners that read “Bangladesh stands against terrorism” and “We want peace; no place for terrorism.”

The organizers said they particularly wanted students to lead Monday’s protests because the suspects in last month’s attacks were mostly students and young men.

“We stand against any sort of extreme form of ideology. We denounce terrorism,” said Tanvir Shakil Joy, one of the organizers. “I feel encouraged to see that so many students, both male and female, have joined the protest today.”

Suspected Islamist militants killed 20 people, including 17 foreigners, in an attack on a popular restaurant in Dhaka a month ago. That was followed by an attack on an Eid congregation in central Bangladesh that left three people dead.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks, but Bangladesh authorities blamed the banned group Jumatul Mujahedeen Bangladesh.